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Apollo Theater Tribute to Michael Jackson; Michael Jackson's Money; Pride, Fear, Death on Iraq's New Day; Obama Urges Private Sector Funding on Social Issues
Aired June 30, 2009 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Let's take you live now to Harlem, New York.
Michael Jackson fans lining up for his last show time, shall we say, at the Apollo. Doors open this hour for a very special tribute. We'll have more on that in just a moment.
And Los Angeles police advancing the investigation there. They are now piecing together the singer's complicated medical history, trying to track down all the doctors who have treated him and all the meds that they might have prescribed.
Also today, some last-minute updates from the Jackson camp on Michael's memorials and possibly his final will. We're following every angle for you. Correspondents live on both coasts.
Well, some tears but a lot of smiles from Michael Jackson fans on the other side of the country. Thousands of people already lining up right now outside the Apollo Theater in Harlem for a very special tribute that's getting under way.
And of course our T.J. Holmes is live outside the Apollo Theater, right there. You can probably see him in the middle of the crowd.
Give us away, T.J.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: OK. You got me now, Kyra?
PHILLIPS: I got you now, pal.
HOLMES: You can spot me down here. But you get an idea of the scene. The Apollo marquee is right there. I'm just going to set the scene for you here.
And just check out the crowd that has been gathering since actually last night. Not that many last night, but still, they started doing this last night. I've been here for the past few hours, and it has continued to grow.
Now, this Apollo Theater is on 125th here in Harlem. If you start to take it -- Polly (ph) is going to pan to her right here and take you down the street. All the way down to the end of the street is Adam Clayton Powell, where 125th connects.
The line goes all the way to the end of the street. And now we're not sure how many blocks up that it goes into Harlem. But the line literally is now wrapping around the block here. We don't know how many blocks it goes down.
I see young and old, black and white. We have people here from Africa, from different parts of the states here in the U.S. Many people have driven to be here. It was important enough for them to be here to be a part of this moment.
What they're going to be a part of, Kyra, a lot of people heard of the Apollo, maybe never been to it, but it is really a centerpiece of black culture and art. And it is the heart of Harlem where we are, an historic black community here. But this is where Michael Jackson made his New York debut as a part of the Jackson 5 back in 1967 at the age of nine. There's actually a lady in the crowd here who claims she was here for that first concert that he made.
A lot of these people -- again, young folks love his music. The older folks love his music. But this is something that -- I saw a mother and daughter bonding over this. You know, it's often a generational gap, but this is one thing that brings folks together.
I'm going to talk to Cathy here, Cathy Carter.
Cathy, you saw a Michael Jackson -- a Jackson 5 concert not long ago. Well, I shouldn't say not long ago.
CATHY CARTER, FAN: A long time ago.
HOLMES: But why be here? Why be a part of this today? It's hot out here, for one thing. And it's a madhouse, and fanatics and fans and whatnot.
But why?
CARTER: Because I love Michael. And I felt I grew up with Michael from back in the '70s.
When I first saw Michael at Memorial Field in Mt. Vernon, New York, and I was no more than a teenager myself, I felt since then I have grown up through the music with Michael. I'm not too much younger than him, about two years younger than Michael. And I appreciate his music, and I just love him. So I wanted to be here to honor his memory.
HOLMES: How did you take it? That's the only other thing I'll ask you, just how did you take the news when you heard about his passing?
CARTER: When I heard about his passing, I was driving with my daughter and my granddaughter, and I just busted out and started crying. All I could do was cry because I felt like I lost a family member. That's how dear Michael was to me.
HOLMES: Well, Cathy Carter...
CARTER: I felt I lost a family member. HOLMES: Well, she is one of several.
Cathy Carter, thank you.
But Kyra, again, she is one of several...
PHILLIPS: T.J., where did Cathy see the Jackson 5? Where did she see the Jackson 5?
HOLMES: She said it was at Mt. Vernon.
PHILLIPS: Mt. Vernon. OK.
HOLMES: Yes, Mt. Vernon is where she saw it, but she thought it was -- early '70s is when she saw him. So he was certainly a little older by then. But still, the Jackson 5 were still together.
A lot of people here have those stories. They expect here, Kyra, to start letting people in around 2:00, which is right now. They are going to let them in, 600 people at a time.
They get to see a video, other tributes. Music is going to be playing the whole time. You hear "Ben" playing behind me just from some store here in Harlem right now.
But it's going to be a long day. It is expected to go to at least until 8:00. It is a hot Harlem day, as well.
You see an ambulance there. It came because a few people are starting to get sick with all this heat. They've been out here for hours and hours. There's only so much water to go around. So, a long day, but a lot of people not giving up their spot in this line for anything -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Now, T.J., when doors open and they get to start moving through there, do we get to go inside to the Apollo and see what it's like inside?
HOLMES: Yes. We are actually the only network, the only camera that is going to be set up and can be live inside.
So I am standing out here in the sun for you, Kyra, until it's time for us to go inside, until people start moving in. But really, this tells more of the story.
I mean, you could show this picture and not even have to hear my voice and this would really tell you the story of what's happening in Harlem today. But yes, again, 2:00 is when they are supposed to start letting 600 at a time, we understand, that get to go in for a half an hour, 45 minutes, and enjoy it. Then they're going to shuffle the next group in, and that will continue until at least 8:00 tonight.
PHILLIPS: Well, T.J.,. you would probably like to meet this guy I'm going to interview, Bobby Schiffman. His dad actually owned the Apollo the day the Jackson 5 played in the amateur show.
HOLMES: Oh, wow.
PHILLIPS: Yes. And they actually went up to Bobby's dad and said, hey, we don't have enough money for our hotel. You know, could we get another gig here at the Apollo? And listen to this -- so Bobby said that the Jackson 5 played 31 shows in one week to make $1,000 to pay for their hotel, and the rest was history.
HOLMES: Wow. And the Apollo has come a long way since then.
You talk about that in 1967, that was on an amateur night. That's been going on since 1934. And this Apollo still does amateur night every Wednesday night. It's happening tomorrow. It's going to be a tribute to Michael Jackson tomorrow as well.
They are going to have a moon walking contest. So, that same spirit, that same thing that got the Jackson 5 started, continues to this day.
PHILLIPS: All right. Are we going to see you in that moon walking competition, T.J.?
HOLMES: You will not, Kyra. I knew you were going to ask. I was scared to even mention the competition.
PHILLIPS: I'm sure you can find a few in that crowd. All right. We'll check back with you, T.J.
All right. One of the many questions that has popped up in the days since Michael Jackson's death is how could an entertainer who earned hundreds of millions of dollars be drowning in a sea of debt?
We've got more now from CNN's Gary Tuchman.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A person with intimate knowledge of Michael Jackson's finances is very blunt, telling CNN the situation was just mayhem. The estimate -- that at the time of his death the "King of Pop" was roughly $400 million in debt.
The 50 London concerts that were scheduled were going to bring in tens of millions of dollars for Michael Jackson. But that was only a fraction of the entertainer's debt.
So, how did this happen? Only seven years ago "Forbes" magazine said he was worth $350 million. In part that was fueled by an extremely shrewd investment Jackson made two decades earlier.
ETHAN SMITH, "WALL STREET JOURNAL": He bought a company called ATV Music Publishing which held, among other things, the copyrights to 251 Beatles songs.
TUCHMAN: He spent about $37 million for the copyrights, and some say they may be worth more than $1 billion now, although Jackson sold half of it to Sony in 1995 to drum up cash. Up until his death, he was bringing in several million dollars a year in royalties and other fees from his own music.
We talked with this man, Charles Koppelman. He was a financial consultant for Jackson between 2001 and 2004.
CHARLES KOPPELMAN, JACKSON'S FORMER BUSINESS ADVISER: We all know what an incredible artist he is but he's also was a unique businessman to make the decisions, and they were his, to identify assets and acquire them over the years. His Achilles heel unfortunately was his personal finances.
TUCHMAN: And that's putting it mildly, the person with knowledge of the current financial situation said, Jackson was spending $2 million a month on what he called B.S. Over the year, Jackson bought the Neverland ranch near Santa Barbara for just shy of $20 million.
He spent many millions more on amenities and maintenance. And then he spent staggering amounts of money on legal challenges, including $20 million to settle a child molestation lawsuit. A decade later, after spending millions in legal fees, he was acquitted in another child molestation case.
Despite all of that, his former financial consultant said Jackson was in OK financial shape as recently as 2004.
KOPPELMAN: We took about two months or so, and we were able to restructure all of his various loans, et cetera. We did that and it was efficient and effective.
TUCHMAN: But Jackson kept spending and spending, and the pop star who made so much money in his career churned through unimaginable amounts of it. With his death, his assets are still there, including his Beatles rights, but his spending is not.
KOPPELMAN: His untimely death as sad as it is -- and it is sad -- you know, to some extent there's a possibility that his children and his family will now be able to figure out how to maintain those assets for them all.
TUCHMAN: And if that happens, it's the most pitiful way for it to occur.
Gary Tuchman, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: And just in the last half-hour or so, the Jackson family confirming what's been reported about a 2002 will. It does exist, apparently, and the lawyers have seen it.
We'll have more on that as we get it.
Mega star, unforgettable hits. Dance moves that drove fans bonkers. A bizarre life, a premature death.
So which king are we talking about here, the hip shaker or the moon walker? The "Hunk of Burning Love" or "The Man in the Mirror"? Two different men joined at the hip by history.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: It's the first day of the rest of Iraq's freedom. As U.S. troops pull out of Iraq cities and towns, it's brought out joy in many places, like Baghdad, but it's also brought out fear and violence in other spots.
At least 30 people have been killed in Kirkuk today. It's the latest in an outbreak of attacks over the last 10 days that have left hundreds of people dead.
Also, four U.S. soldiers were killed yesterday. But the top U.S. general in Iraq is confident. General Ray Odierno saying much of the country is safe and that there would still be a number of bumps in the road.
Let's talk more about the handover with CNN Pentagon Correspondent Chris Lawrence -- Chris.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, this is more of what you would call a move rather than a total pullout. They are not going home. They are just moving to a different location.
And when you look at all the exceptions to this agreement between the Americans and the Iraqis, Camp Victory, one of the biggest bases, just about a 15-minute drive from the center of Baghdad, forces will still be there. A big base, Taji, which is about 12 miles north of Baghdad, troops there. And a smaller forward-operating base, Falcon, which technically is still in the Baghdad city limits, although they exempted it from this agreement, forces will still be there.
So, I think what the American forces and some of the commanders are feeling is that the Americans are close enough to come if and when they are invited by the Iraqis to help. And that's what it would take, the Iraqis would have to invite the Americans to come out on a patrol or to assist.
Now, exactly how many American troops will remain in the cities? That was a testy question for the top commander there in Iraq, the top U.S. general, when he kept being asked that question over and over again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. RAY ODIERNO, COMMANDER, MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE, IRAQ: I don't know how many times -- how many times do you want me to say that? I don't know.
What I am telling you is, it's training and advising teams that remain in Baghdad. And it will be different every single day. And we have worked very closely locally with the commanders to figure this out.
And it will be different tomorrow than it is today. And that's why I don't want to say a number, because it will be inaccurate. (END VIDEO CLIP)
LAWRENCE: Just a few minutes after that, General Odierno actually apologized for losing his temper a little bit after all the continued questions. But again, it is a significant drawdown if you think of, at the height of the surge, there were nearly a hundred of these small outposts scattered all over neighborhoods in Baghdad. All of those now closed down.
PHILLIPS: The country's got a long way to go.
Chris Lawrence, thanks.
Getting some breaking news now out of Minnesota. Apparently the state Supreme Court has settled that political deadlock that's been going on since November.
CNN Deputy Political director Paul Steinhauser on the phone now live from Washington.
Paul, what do you know?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Well, just about 12 minutes ago, Kyra, the Minnesota State Supreme Court, they e- mailed out their decision. It's -- I looked at this thing. It's about 30 pages in length. I'm going to let Jeffrey Toobin try to figure it out, but the headline, of course, is that they are backing Al Franken as the winner of this long-contested Senate race.
Remember, this thing has been going on since November 4th. It's been almost eight months, Kyra.
They are rejecting Republican Norm Coleman's bid to try to change the results. And this could lead the way for Franken to be certified as the winner of that contest. And that would mean, if this happens, that Franken would become the 60th Democrat in the U.S. Senate, which, of course, you know, you need 60 votes in the Senate to override a filibuster.
So this could be the final step. But remember, Norm Coleman, Kyra, has the opportunity, if he wants, to try to take this to the federal courts. But the governor of Minnesota, Tim Pawlenty, a fellow Republican, he was on our own CNN "STATE OF THE UNION" with John King this Sunday. He said he would sign that certificate of election if the Supreme Court ruled the way it did. And Kyra, they just did.
PHILLIPS: OK.
What are we doing? OK.
Sorry about that. Had three people talking in my ear.
Paul Steinhauser, appreciate that.
All right. Let's move on now. And he was declared the winner of Iran's disputed election once before, and the opposition took to the streets. Now the day after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was again declared the winner after a partial vote recount, some ruling clerics are calling him a champion.
Reza Sayah is on our Iran Desk.
Reza, what's it all about?
REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, it's over, it's finished. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the winner of the elections, according to the Iranian government. And that's the end of it.
I don't think anyone was surprised with the news today when the supreme leader came out a week after election day in Iran and endorsed these election results. I don't think anyone was expecting this partial recount to make a difference, but now the government is saying it is official because of this partial recount, the recount conducted on Monday.
The government saying they recounted about 10 percent of the vote. And in parts of Iran, they claim that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gained some votes.
Of course, opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi rejected the notion of a partial recount. He wanted a full re-vote, showing no confidence in the elections process. And there was some members of the opposition who suggested, let's take this to lawmakers. Let's take this to parliament.
But today, a spokesperson for the Guardian Council that oversaw the election process shut the door on that idea as well.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): With what relates to the election, that's over. The Guardian Council is the source of the decision-making and it has the last say.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAYAH: That was a spokesperson for the Guardian Council saying the election process is over. But the presidency for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad continues.
July 26th, that's his swearing-in ceremony, a ceremony that will be hosted by the supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei. The Guardian Council today said there's no more official complaints going to be accepted. And they said they're going to reveal the results of the partial recount later this week, but the difference, they say, between this partial recount and the original elections was so little, so negligible, they say, that it's not even worth mentioning -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: So, Reza, you know, it seems so hard to believe it was just a week, week and a half ago that we were seeing these protests and all these people out on the streets, thousands and thousands of them, people being shot. We were trying to get information.
You know, are things just calm now? I mean, how is the result of this partial recount playing out on the streets?
SAYAH: Yes. We have been talking to some people out on streets of Iran, and they are basically waiting to see what Mir Hossein Mousavi, the opposition leader, is doing.
But basically, what we have seen in Iran over the past couple of weeks is at least two candidates and hundreds of thousands of people, perhaps millions, dispute these elections. And what the government has done is systematically, with brute force, crushed this opposition, crushed the dissent. There has been a mountain of evidence that there is some human rights violations.
And the question is, is anyone going to be held responsible? There's a lot of journalists who are missing, there's a lot of political dissidents who are missing. And many international governments, many human rights groups are asking, what is going to become of these people?
So, in the coming days and weeks, we're going to see what opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi does. Many say it's going to depend on senior clerics behind the scene, if they can somehow form an opposition coalition against the establishment. But right now, options appear to be very limited for Mir Hossein Mousavi -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Reza, thanks.
Another Airbus jetliner crashes into the ocean. It comes two years after aviation officials reported serious safety problems with the plane, an Airbus 310. We'll have the latest.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: The president now expected to talk about Iraq, troops pulling out. Also highlighting the innovative problem-solving that nonprofit groups are doing. He wants to challenge others to do the same.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
BARACK H. OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: ... in one room. And it is always a dangerous thing trying to follow Geoffrey Canada.
But I thank you all for being here.
Before we begin the subject of today's gathering, I want to say a few words about an important milestone that we've reached in Iraq.
Today, American troops have transferred control of all Iraqi cities and towns to Iraq's government and security forces.
(APPLAUSE) And this transition was agreed to last year as part of our status of forces agreement with the sovereign Iraqi government. It's a part of our strategy to responsibly end the war by removing all American combat brigades from Iraq by next September and all of our troops from Iraq by the end of 2011.
So, the Iraqi people are rightly treating this day as a cause for celebration. This is an important step forward as a sovereign and united Iraq continues to take control of its own destiny. And with this progress comes responsibility.
Iraq's future is in the hands of its own people, and Iraq's leaders must now make some hard choices necessary to resolve key political questions, to advance opportunity and to provide security for their towns and their cities. In this effort, America will be a strong partner to the Iraqi people on behalf of their security and prosperity.
Now, make no mistake, there will be difficult days ahead. We know that the violence in Iraq will continue. We see that already in the senseless bombing in Kirkuk earlier today. And there are those who will test Iraq's security forces and the resolve of the Iraqi people through more sectarian bombings and the murder of innocent civilians. But I'm confident that those force will fail.
The future belongs to those who build, not those who destroy. And today's transition is further proof that those who have tried to pull Iraq into the abyss of this union and civil war are on the wrong side of history.
Finally, the very fact that Iraqis are celebrating this day is a testament to the courage, the capability and commitment of every single American who has served in Iraq. That's worth applauding.
(APPLAUSE)
Through tour after tour of duty, our troops have overcome every obstacle to extend this precious opportunity to the Iraqi people. And these women and men are not always in the headlines, but they are in our hearts and prayers. And we will forever honor their selfless service and sacrifice, as well as the service and sacrifice of their families.
There's more work to be done, but we've made important progress in supporting a sovereign, stable and self-reliant Iraq. And every who has served there both in uniform, as well as our civilians, deserves our thanks.
Now, it's fitting that we are here today to talk about what each of us can do to lift up this nation, because our troop sacrifice challenges all of us to do what we can do to be better citizens. That's what the people that you have heard from already are doing every single day.
So I want to start off thanking Geoffrey Canada Robert Chambers, Pat Kristen (ph), who is here with one of Hope Lad's (ph) student testers, Richard Ross (ph) -- Richard, wave to everybody. Go ahead. That's you -- for speaking with us about the extraordinary work their organizations are doing in their communities.
And I want to thank Richard and Vanessa Nunez (ph) for sharing their stories with us today.
Thank you very much. You both clearly have very bright futures ahead of you.
I want to acknowledge our outstanding education secretary, Arne Duncan. He's worth giving a round of applause.
(APPLAUSE)
As well as -- if I'm not mistaken, Congressman Jim Moran is here. There he is, right here in the front, with his daughter, Dorothy.
(APPLAUSE)
I want to thank Steve Goldsmith for moderating. We were discussing the fact that at Harvard -- Vanessa (ph), you were there. How long ago was that, 15 years ago? We were together on a conference talking about this very issue. And so it's nice to see Steve, one of the outstanding mayors at the time, and now continuing to do great work helping people to think about how we can all fulfill our civic responsibilities more effectively.
So, thank you very much.
I want to thank Dave Cheslovicz (ph) -- I want to make sure I say that properly -- of Madison, Wisconsin, and Mayor Sara Presler of Flagstaff, Arizona, for their commitment as well.
Please give them a big round of applause.
(APPLAUSE)
And finally, I want to thank all of you here today for everything you are doing to find new solutions to some of our oldest, toughest problems. And I know what you do is not easy. I know that for many of you, the hours are long, the pay could be better, let's face it. But I also know the difference that each of you make.
I know the lives that you change every single day. You teach us that there is no such thing as a lost cause if you are willing to be creative and challenge the conventional wisdom and take some risks. If you are willing to try and fail, and then try again until you find something that works. And today, I want to recognize that pioneering spirit and thank you all for the contributions that you are making to our communities.
What you all do is important in any year, but at this particular moment, when we're facing challenges unlike any we have seen in our lifetime, it's absolutely critical. Because while we're working hard to rebuild our economy and help people who are struggling, let's face it, there is only so much that Washington can do. Government can't do everything and be everywhere, nor should it be. For example, government can help rebuild schools. And Arne Duncan is working as hard as anybody. But we need new ways to teach our children and train our teachers and get parents more involved in their children's education.
Government can reform our health care system, but we need innovative approaches to help people manage their illnesses and lead healthier lives. The government can invest in clean energy, but we need new initiatives to get people to train for green jobs and make their homes and offices more energy-efficient.
So, if anyone out there is waiting for government to solve all their problems, they're going to be disappointed, because ultimately, the best solutions don't come from the top down, not from Washington, they come from the bottom up in each and every one of our communities.
As some of you know, I first saw this years ago when I worked as a community organizer in Chicago, neighborhoods devastated by steel plant closings. And I spent hours going door to door, meeting with anyone who would talk to me, asking people about their struggles and what an organization could do to help.
And it was slow, laborious going. We had plenty of setbacks and failed more often than we succeeded. But we listened to the people in the community, and we learned from them and got them engaged and got them involved. And slowly, block by block, we began to turn those neighborhoods around, fighting for job training and better housing and more opportunity for young people.
The lesson I learned then still holds true today, that folks who are struggling don't simply need more government bureaucracy. That top-down, one size fits all program usually doesn't end up fitting anybody. People don't need somebody out in Washington to tell them how to solve their problems, especially when the best solutions are often right there in their own neighborhoods just waiting to be discovered.
(1430 SEGMENT BELOW) OBAMA: ... fitting anybody. People don't need somebody out in Washington to tell them how to solve their problems, especially when the best solutions are often right there in their own neighborhoods, just waiting to be discovered.
So, right now, in communities across America, people are hard at work developing and running programs that could be the next Harlem Children's Zone or the next Genesis Works or the next HopeLab. And idealistic young people, like Wendy Kopp, who refused to listen to skeptics years ago and pushed ahead to bring her vision for Teach of America to life. We've got "young at heart" people like Robert Chambers, who finish out careers in business or health care or education, and instead of transitioning into retirement, they're just too busy. They're too restless. So, they come back for an encore, plowing a lifetime of experience into helping people in need.
We've got people from all backgrounds, all walks of life succeeding where others have failed, getting real, measurable results, changing the way we think about some of our toughest problems.
The bottom line is clear. Solutions to America's challenges are being developed every day at the grass roots. And government shouldn't be supplanting those efforts. It should be supporting those efforts. Instead of wasting taxpayer money on programs that are obsolete or ineffective, government should be seeking out creative, results-oriented programs like the ones here today and helping them replicate their efforts across America.
So, if Harlem's Children's Zone can turn around neighborhoods in new York, then why not Detroit or San Antonio or Los Angeles or Indianapolis? If Bonnie CLAC can help working people purchase cars and manage their finances in New Hampshire, they can probably do it in Vermont or all across New England or all across America.
Now, it's not going to be easy to scale up some of these great ideas. If it was easy, you would have already done it, and you wouldn't be here today except maybe to just check out the White House. It's hard. But it's also critical. And it's absolutely possible if we're willing to work together to give organizations like these the resources they need to reach their fullest potential and have their fullest impact.
And, if we're able to ensure that best practices are shared all across the country, that we've set up a strong network of ideas. That's precisely the idea behind the $50 million innovation fund included in the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, an initiative designed to assist community solutions like these that we're asking Congress to fund this year.
We're going to use this fund to find the most promising nonprofits in America. We'll examine their data and rigorously evaluate their outcomes. We'll invest in those with the best results that are most likely to provide a good return on our taxpayer dollars. And we'll require that they get matching investments from the private sector, from businesses and foundations and philanthropists, to make those taxpayer dollars go further.
And today, I'm announcing that I'll be asking Melody Barnes, who's our director of the Domestic Policy Council and our innovation team to lead this process, traveling across the country to discover and evaluate the very best programs in our communities. We won't be just looking at the usual suspects in the usual places. We won't just be seeking the programs that everybody already knows about, but we also want to find those hidden gems that haven't yet gotten the attention they deserve.
And we'll be looking in all sorts of communities -- rural, urban and suburban in every region of this country. Because we know that great ideas and outstanding programs are everywhere, and it's up to us to find them. We're going to take this new approach, this new way of doing business government-wide. So, we've already set up a "What Works" fund at the Department of Education -- $650 million in the Recovery Act that we'll be investing in the most successful, highest-impact initiatives in our school districts and communities. It's not just going to be the usual formulas here, from pioneering teacher training programs and efforts to bring new technologies into our schools to early learning programs and programs to help at-risk kids. These are the kinds of initiatives that Arne and his staff and the department are looking to support.
At the Department of Health and Human Services, we're working on a new home visiting initiative, connecting nurses and other trained professionals with at-risk families to ensure that children get a healthy, safe and smart start to life. We'll be seeking out the very best programs to achieve those goals, ones with the strongest records of success. And we'll test promising approaches to see what works and what doesn't.
So, all of this represents a new kind of partnership between government and the nonprofit sector. But I can tell you right now that partnership isn't complete, and it won't be successful without help from the private sector. And that's why I'm glad that there are some deep pockets in the audience, foundations, corporations and individuals. You need to be part of this effort as well. And that's my challenge to the private sector today.
Our nonprofits can provide the solutions. Our government can rigorously evaluate these solutions and invest limited taxpayer dollars in ones that work. But we need those of you from the private sector to step up as well. We need you to provide that critical seed capital to launch these ideas. We need you to provide those matching funds to help them grow. And we need you to serve as a partner, providing strategic advice and other resources to help them succeed.
If we work together, if we all go all in here, think about the difference we could make. Think about the impact we could have with just the organizations represented in this room. We've got Jim McCorkle here from Admission Possible, a group that helps promising young people from low-income families attend college. Ninety-nine percent of the Admission Possible Class of 2008 got into college. Ninety-nine percent.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Where's Jim? Where's Jim? There he is back there. The vast majority stay in college and earn their degrees. Admission Possible operates in just two states now. So, imagine if it was 10 or 20 or 50.
We've got Alfa Demmellash here from Rising Tide Capital. Where is Alfa? right over there. Right over there. Did I pronounce your name right? Good. When your name's Barack Obama, you're sensitive to these things.
(LAUGHTER)
OBAMA: So, Alfa is with Rising Tide Capital, an organization that helps struggling mom and pop entrepreneurs get loans, run their businesses and improve their profit margins. Seventy percent of their clients are single moms. All of them rely on their businesses to support their families. So, far, Rising Tide has helped 250 business owners in the state of New Jersey. So, imagine if they could help 500 or 1,000 or more all across America.
If we empower organizations like these, think about the number of people like Vanessa and Richard whose lives we can change. The number of families whose livelihoods we can boost. The number of struggling communities we can bring back to life. In the end, that's what this effort's about. It's not about the old partisan lines in the sand. We know there's nothing Democratic or Republican about just doing what works.
So, we want to cast aside worn ideological debates and focus on what helps people in their daily lives. That's what each and every one of you are doing all across America. For that, I honor you, I thank you, and I look forward to working with you in the days, months, and years ahead to address the urgent challenges of our times.
Thank you very much, everybody. Good luck.
(APPLAUSE)
PHILLIPS: The president of the United States there at the White House calling on foundations, philanthropists and private sector there to invest in community solutions, pointing out a number of organizations that have worked. And you see there live on our air, even one of our nominated CNN Heroes Alfa Demmellash, for all the good work that she does. She's an immigrant from Ethiopia who's helping others live the American dream. And she's there also at the White House.
Well, more revelations now, believe it or not, from embattled South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford. He's telling the Associated Press now he, quote, "crossed lines" with a handful of women other than his mistress, but says he never had sex with them. Sanford admitted last week that he spent nearly a week in Argentina with his mistress, and he didn't tell anyone where he was.
Sanford also told the AP that the woman in Argentina, Maria Chapur, is his soul mate but he's trying to fall back in love with his wife. Sanford and his wife are separated now, and critics are calling on him to resign.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KYRA PHILLIPS: Live pictures outside of the Apollo theater in Harlem, New York. We are on top of all the developments on both sides of the country. The Michael Jackson story in New York. Thousands of people standing strong, and actually snaking around the street from the Apollo Theater, hoping to get inside where a musical memorial just got underway. We're going to take you inside the Apollo in just a minute.
In California, fans soon will be able to pay their respects at Michael Jackson's beloved Neverland ranch. The singer's body is to be taken to Neverland on Thursday, we are now being told. Our Kara Finnstrom is right there outside of the ranch in Los Olivos, California with the details. Hey, Kara.
KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kyra. Well, CNN has now learned that late Thursday morning, Michael Jackson's body will be brought back here to Neverland. This is a 2,500 acre ranch that he opened at the height of his career. He was just about 29 years old at the time.
A source tells CNN that a motorcade of 30 or more cars, including the one that will be carrying Jackson's body will make its way from the Los Angeles area to this remote area in the Santa Barbara hills. This is in unincorporated Santa Barbara County. And this is a pretty long stretch. We are talking about a 130-mile drive for this motorcade. Understandably, there is going to be some traffic issues, some security concerns. We are told that law enforcement is trying to iron all of that out.
We have also learned that on Friday, a public memorial will be held here. A public viewing, rather, of the body. On Sunday, a private memorial will be held for the family only.
At this point, we have gotten no details about his burial or where his final resting place will be. But Kyra, I can tell you that this does raise a lot of concerns amongst people that live in this community. It is a very private, remote area. They are concerned. We had to come down five miles down a private two-lane road to get to his ranch. They are concerned about the traffic that will be headed this way.
Also, for folks at home who kind of remember Neverland at what it was like when it opened up, it is not really like that anymore. We remember the Ferris wheel, the amusement park rides and the train that wound through the park. Right now, we have some aerials that we took yesterday. What you'll see here are some large cement slabs where those amusement park rides used to be. Empty pens where the animals used to be.
The house and the lawns right around that still well manicured and kept in good condition. Very different from what we remember some 20 years ago. We did speak with someone with the company that now co- owns Neverland about what the future plans for this ranch may be. He says at this point, it's premature to talk about that.
Kyra, again, confirming that starting late Thursday morning, we will see some memorial services here. His body will be coming in. That will stretch on throughout the weekend.
PHILLIPS: All right. Kara Finnstrom, thanks so much.
Thousands of miles away from Neverland, thousands of fans are paying tribute to Michael Jackson right now. A musical memorial just got started at the theater that helped launch the King of Pop into stardom. The Apollo Theater is known as the place where stars are born and legends are made. My next guest helped make Michael Jackson part of the Apollo's mystique. Bobby Schiffman was there in when big band legend Duke Ellington was the headlining act. He was managing the theater when Stevie Wonder took the stage in 1970. And he was there in 1967 when an unknown group of brothers called the Jacksons brought the house down and won the amateur night contest.
The story gets even better. Bobby joins me now live from Riviera Beach, Florida. Bobby, good to see you.
BOBBY SCHIFFMAN, FORMER MANAGER, APOLLO THEATER: How you doing, Kyra?
I love these stories you tell about the Jacksons. Take us back to when this young man approached you. Was it you or your father and said, "I need a favor with these Jackson brothers"?
SCHIFFMAN: No. My father had already retired. It was me that was approached about that. This guy came up and alleged that he was representing the Jacksons and that he had them squirreled away in a hotel in midtown Manhattan and couldn't get them out of there because he didn't have enough money to pay the bill. He asked us if we could help them out.
I looked them up on our files. I knew he had appeared on the amateur show. We looked him up, knew they had done extremely well, and decided to try to work out an engagement for them, which we did. I worked out a contract for $1,000, which at that time was a really fair price. Headliners at that time were earning $2,500 a week. Some as high as $3,000 a week. We made a deal with the Jackson 5 for $1,000 for 31 shows and took two options, one for $1,500 for another appearance and one for $2,500 for a second appearance.
PHILLIPS: Oh, my gosh. So, they performed for an entire week 31 times for $1,000?
SCHIFFMAN: That's correct.
PHILLIPS: Oh, my gosh! Now, were you able to get them back or was that it, Bobby? Did they just take off from that point?
SCHIFFMAN: Shortly after their appearance, Diana Ross took them on an NBC special that she did, and there was no looking back after that. They just skyrocketed.
PHILLIPS: That was it. Tell me about that week. Did they sell out all week? Tell me what those 31 shows were like. And were they on fire for each one of those shows?
SCHIFFMAN: To tell you the truth, that was 40 years ago. I am an 80-year-old man with a dimming memory. I'm not sure I remember -- I certainly didn't watch every show. I watched one or two. I think they were extremely well received. Young people went nutsy over them. The handwriting was on the wall that this was an act to be dealt with. They were going to become major players. PHILLIPS: Wow. When you heard about the death of Michael Jackson -- we think of Buddy Holly and the song Don McLean wrote about the day the music died. What song do you think will be written about Michael Jackson?
SCHIFFMAN: Gosh, I don't know. Incidentally, Buddy holly played the Apollo also, you know.
PHILLIPS: That was an amazing time, right? I mean, not only Buddy Holly, but you saw the rise of black musicians while you were there.
SCHIFFMAN: It was a very exciting time, the time that we're talking about. Because it was the development of rock'n'roll and rhythm and blues in America. It had suddenly taken off. There were tremendous careers that were being spawned everyday. The number of talented people who passed through the doors of the Apollo Theater was uncountable. It was just endless.
PHILLIPS: You would receive letters from all over the world. People would send you postcards and all they had to do was put the Apollo Theater and you would get the mail?
SCHIFFMAN: Very interesting. I tested that myself by writing a post card and addressing it to the Apollo Theater, and I dropped it in a mailbox in Rome. It came right to the theater.
PHILLIPS: Oh, my gosh. Final thoughts, bobby. I hate letting you go. I could talk to you all day about this. Your first and final memory of Michael Jackson. Would it be that young nine-year-old that walk up to you that day?
SCHIFFMAN: He was a sweet, little boy. He was extremely talented but extremely easy to get along with. He always had a smile on his face. And it was a pleasure to see him working in the theater.
PHILLIPS: It all started there in the theater that you owned.
SCHIFFMAN: That's right.
PHILLIPS: Bobby Schiffman, what a pleasure talking to you. By the way, you look great for 80.
SCHIFFMAN: I'm eighty nevertheless.
PHILLIPS: Staying strong, Bobby.
SCHIFFMAN: I'm going to keep trying hitting the golf ball every day.
PHILLIPS: There you go. And hold on to those memories from a great time at the Apollo.
SCHIFFMAN: I certainly will try to.
PHILLIPS: All right, Bobby. Take care. SCHIFFMAN: Thank you, now.
PHILLIPS: Well, Michael Jackson's final performance at the Apollo was in 2002. Former President Clinton asked Jackson to perform for a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee.
There's the moment, right there.
And from the very beginning, he was there. You already know those five famous faces. But you're actually going to meet the man in the middle in just a second.
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PHILLIPS: Well, take a look. The crowd outside the Apollo Theater in New York. Now, they're inside, paying tribute to Michael Jackson. The live show going on right now inside of the Apollo Theater. Music, videos, it's a final tribute to all his fans as they've been circling through.
This is what it looks like outside. The hundreds and thousands of people lined up around the corner, I'm told, to make their way inside to this musical memorial in honor of the king of pop. Now, the Apollo is letting people in, about 600 people at a time. And once they are inside, they can listen to Jackson's music they can watch the video tribute and they can leave flowers. You can see it all happening right there.
Well, cute, talented, normal. A description of the Michael Jackson he knew. Michael Jackson as the age of 12. Publicist Don Berrigan was there in the early days of the Jackson 5, and he's via broadband to share some of those memories of Michael, as we watch the tribute there at the Apollo.
So I love this story, Don. Berry Gordy calls you up and says, I need your help. What did he ask you to do?
DON BERRIGAN, PUBLICIST, THE JACKSON 5: Well, Kyra, he asked us to try to put together some costumes for their initial live appearances. He asked us to do some public relations in terms of getting the kids into the teenage magazines and to create a magazine just for them, which we did. And to see if we could find a choreographer who could give them some fresh moves on the stage. That was what we did mostly, initially.
PHILLIPS: And so you reached out to an 18-year-old young woman by the name of --
BERRIGAN: Paula Abdul. I didn't know her. Nobody knew her that I knew.
PHILLIPS: And you reached out to Paula Abdul, why?
BERRIGAN: Well, because she was referred to us. We put the word out. We had a couple of choreographers that we usually use. But Berry Gordy had showed us some tape of the boys and we thought that they needed a fresh approach. So, we just put out the word if anybody knew somebody who, you know, had something new to do in choreography.
And all of a sudden we hear about this girl and we meet with her down in the rehearsal room in the basement of the Motown building and she just flabbergasted us with some of her routines. And she was 18 years old and her name was Paula Abdul.
PHILLIPS: So, let me get this right. She, at that moment, was the one that taught Michael Jackson how to moon walk?
BERRIGAN: That's my remembrance, yes.
PHILLIPS: Really?
BERRIGAN: Yes.
PHILLIPS: And so, what did you think? What was the reaction of everybody? Did you think, oh my gosh, these guys have got it. They've got the moves?
And what was the next move from there?
BERRIGAN: Well, we -- the thing that I remember most about that was that, you know, the brothers were good at everything they did. And they needed coaching and everything by the choreographer. But Michael only had to see it once. He was the genius. And he'd see it once and he had it down immediately. And he had two sources of creativity in this respect -- was Paula and his own ideas. And they were mind-blowing, both of them.
PHILLIPS: And there they went.
BERRIGAN: 12years old.
PHILLIPS: And still to this day -- I know, 12 years old and you still think he is the most talented kid you ever saw, right?
BERRIGAN: Next to Mickey Rooney, yes.
PHILLIPS: That's great. What a comparison if there's one.
Don Berrigan, it's always great reminiscing with you.
Great to see you.
BERRIGAN: Thanks, Kyra. We love you.
PHILLIPS: Aww, ditto.
Well, Michael and Elvis -- Neverland and Graceland. You ever think about what these two legends had in common in life? So many parallels.
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PHILLIPS: Lisa Marie Presley wrote on her blog that Michael Jackson told her he was afraid he'd end up like his late, one-time father in law. Jackson saw the parallels and there were so many.
When you look at Jackson's life and his death, you can't help but think, I've seen this movie before.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): You can't help but wonder if we've been watching history repeat itself all this time. From humble begins in Tupelo, Mississippi, and Gary, Indiana, to iconic stardom.
Moves and music to scream for, to cry for. The powerful reaction of fans around the world made it clear these guys were not your average pop stars. They were game changers. The king of rock 'n roll. The king of pop. One goes into movies, the other makes thrilling music videos. One becomes a sad, unrecognizable caricature of his former self. The other comes to look like a totally different person. His appearance and a litany of personal dramas upstage his career.
One isolates himself at Graceland, prescription pills and a questionable doctor in the mix. Tabloid fodder. The other becomes an isolated mystery at Neverland, even moving overseas and then coming back to California. Prescription pills and a doctor who's being asked a lot of questions in the mix. Tabloid fodder.
One makes a comeback -- but can't sustain it. Another is on the verge of one but doesn't live to make it. One dies at 42, the other at 50. Screams from the glory years become tears, tributes, grief you can see and hear. Families left behind to deal with complex estates and children. And the tangible link that Elvis and Michael share -- Lisa Marie. One king's daughter, the other king's one-time wife.
Death made a lot of people forget what Elvis became. The sad, fallen icon transformed into a cultural touchstone who found more riches and relevance in death. The legends lasted longer than the living legend ever did. Don't believe it, go to Graceland on August 16th.
Will Michael Jackson's legend find the same kind of redemption in death? Is this how our children and grandkids will know him. Perhaps the show isn't over yet.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
I'm Kyra Phillips, see you back here tomorrow.
Ali Velshi in for Rick Sanchez.
